food truck

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Officials Prepare for USS Arlington Commissioning — Arlington County Board Chairman Mary Hynes, county treasurer Frank O’Leary and other local leaders traveled to Norfolk on Wednesday to meet with Navy officials to plan for the commissioning of the USS Arlington, a new amphibious transport ship named after the county. The commissioning ceremony is currently planned for April 2013. [Sun Gazette]

José Andrés Food Truck Coming to Arlington — Famed local chef José Andrés (of Jaleo fame) is bringing his new food truck venture in Arlington. The “Pepe” food truck is expanding its service area from the District to Montgomery County and Arlington. The truck serves a rotating selection of flautas — a type of Spanish sandwich. [Huff Post DC]

Arlington Scores Above Average, Below Fairfax on SATs — Arlington Public Schools students in the class of 2012 scored an average of 1641 (out of 2400) on the SATs. That score is above the national average of 1498 and above the state average of 1517, but slightly below the Fairfax County average of 1654. [Patch]

Pentagon Exhibit Seeking Veteran Artists — An organization called the Veteran Artist Program is seeking art submissions from military veterans for a new veteran art exhibit at the Pentagon. Organizers told ARLnow.com that they’ve received numerous submissions from around the county, but not many from the Northern Virginia area. The entry deadline is Oct. 30. [Veteran Artist Program]

Clarendon Salon to Hold Grand Opening — Casal’s de Spa and Salon has been open at 3033 Wilson Blvd in Clarendon since June, but the business will be holding its official “grand opening” ceremony this weekend. The non-tipping salon will be offering food, libations, and music from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Northern Va. Senior Olympics Come to Arlington — The Northern Virginia Senior Olympics will kick off tomorrow (Saturday) with a day-long track-and-field competition at Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 2nd Street S.). The Senior Olympics, which utilize several venues from around Northern Virginia, run from Sept. 15-26. Other events planned at the community center include basketball next Saturday, Sept. 22.

District Taco Not Launching a Food Truck — District Taco owner Osiris Hoil says he plans to continue using food carts, as opposed to larger food trucks, since Arlington is now enforcing a stringent one hour street parking rule for mobile food vendors. In addition to a food cart, District Taco also operates two successful brick and mortar restaurants. [Washington Examiner]

Apology for Network Issues — ARLnow.com has experienced network problems that made our site unreachable for many readers on two separate days this week. We would like to apologize to all readers affected by the problems. Also, we would like to thank our advertisers, who make this site possible, for sticking with us during that time. New infrastructure is now in place to make sure these problems (hopefully) never happen again.

EXCLUSIVE: ACPD Launches Coordinated Operations Against Food Trucks

By ARLnow.com

Around lunchtime on Friday, Aug. 24, five Arlington County police officers, including three undercover officers in plainclothes, were assigned to enforce mobile vending regulations along the county’s Metro corridors. By the time lunchgoers had returned to their offices, police had issued seven court summonses to four different food trucks for a variety of violations.

The operation was one of two such coordinated enforcement actions against food trucks this summer — operations that have become necessary due to repeated violations, according to police.

As the number of food trucks in Arlington continues to rise, complaints against improperly licensed or illegally parked food trucks have risen — with many of those complaints coming from the brick and mortar restaurants that compete with food trucks for customers. In response, Arlington County Police say they came up with a plan of action earlier this year that included a vendor education campaign.

“[Police] determined that based on the number of complaints, we needed to at least assess the situation,” Arlington County Police second district commander Capt. Andy Penn told ARLnow.com. “We looked to see what was going on and noted that there were some violations were occurring. [We] then got together and decided that the best approach is going to be an educational campaign, certainly in the beginning, just trying to make sure people are informed and seek compliance.”

Penn said police met with vendors, inspected vending licenses, and handed out a small booklet listing relevant county ordinances. They also distributed a one-page handout of the most commonly-violated mobile food vending rules, including requirements for each vendor and employee to be licensed and — the perhaps most controversial rule — that food trucks can only remain parked in one spot for 60 minutes at a time. Finally, officers issued warnings when vendors were not in compliance, Penn said.

With the warnings distributed and the violations continuing, police began enforcement, issuing summonses that require the vendors to appear in court, in person, and pay a fine.

“The goal was not to give anybody a summons until they’ve been warned at least one time, if not more,” Penn said. “To my knowledge, the people charged have been previously warned.”

On July 25, a coordinated “district team” of officers observed how long food trucks were parked in various areas and issued summonses to three vendors, all for parking more than 60 minutes, Penn said. On Aug. 24, five officers — including two uniformed officers and three plainclothes officers — issued seven summonses to four different vendors.

The plainclothes officers were only detailed to the district team on Aug. 24 for a “limited amount of time,” Penn noted, and were in plainclothes “for a different issue.”

“The initial intent for the plainclothes had nothing to do with vendors,” he said. “They just happened to be in plainclothes that day.”

Food truck operators, meanwhile, have been voicing their discontent, calling the rules — in place since 2010 — “unfair,” and suggesting the fines and required court appearances are heavy-handed.

“Law enforcement has stepped up efforts in major areas like Crystal Drive, N. Lynn Street and N, Stuart Street in Ballston to enforce the rule,” Bada Bing food truck owner Nicholas Terzella told ARLnow.com via email on Aug. 24. “Police have been staking trucks out. When I was parked in Crystal City a few weeks ago, an Arlington County police officer sat across from Chic fil A for over an hour. In this time, multiple cars pulled up to 2200 Crystal Drive and double parked (this happens daily). None of these cars are EVER ticketed. The officer sat there for 1.5 hours and ticketed us.”

“This is the first time in my 2 years of business that I have ever received a ticket,” he continued. “I admit, parking in those particular locations is AWFUL!! That’s why we can’t just leave after the 60 minutes and just grab another spot. This rule ends our lunch service early and makes staying in Arlington impossible. We have to change it now or Arlington will soon be a food truck wasteland.”

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Arlington Food Trucks Defect to D.C., For a Day

By ARLnow.com

A group of Arlington food trucks showed District of Columbia denizens what they’re missing today.

Five trucks — Doug the Food Dude, Bada Bing, Lemongrass, Hot People Food and Willie’s Po Boy — were on the docket for the so-called “Arlington Food Truck Invasion” at the Half Street Fairgrounds near Nationals Park. The free event, which also included beer, games of cornhole and a performance by the funk band Sol Roots, was held from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

“We invited 5 Arlington food trucks to give them a chance to vend in D.C. as well as the customers a chance to see food trucks that they don’t see every day,” said Doug “The Food Dude” Maheu, whose wife Andrea helped to organize the event.

Police Start Enforcing Hour-Limit On Food Trucks

By Aaron Kraut

Seoul Food truck co-owner J.P. Goree got a citation and a court date from Arlington County Police on Wednesday.

His crime: Keeping his Korean cuisine food truck in one Clarendon Courthouse parking spot for longer than the county’s 60-minute limit for mobile food vendors.

“We feel like we’re being treated as a second-class business,” Goree said Friday. “We’re a micro-business, aspiring to be a bigger small business and it seems like that’s something that would be fostered by the community.”

Goree said police told food truck owners a few weeks ago that they would soon start enforcing the regulation. In May, Jill Griffin, a commercial development specialist for Arlington Economic Development, said she had heard enforcing the time limit “has been challenging.”

Griffin also said officials hoped to talk with stakeholders this summer to form recommendations for updating Arlington’s vending ordinance this fall.

“If you open at 11 [a.m.] or 11:30 [a.m.] that hour is only going to get you to when you have the longest line right in the very middle of your lunch rush,” Goree said.

Goree said he thinks ongoing tension between food truck owners and brick-and-mortar restaurant owners is behind Wednesday’s enforcement. Also in May, ARLnow.com obtained an internal document from the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) that said “the number, location and type of operation” of food trucks and carts is “inadequately regulated by Arlington County.”

The Rosslyn BID is funded by the property owners who rent space to the neighborhood’s restaurants, delis and cafes.

The Bada Bing truck also reported receiving a ticket Wednesday on its Twitter page. Ice cream food truck Sinplicity tweeted out a similar message. Goree’s court date is Aug. 21. There was no fine listed on the citation.

“If a truck or a car parks at a metered spot, it can stay there for as long as the meter allows,” said Rob Frommer, an attorney with the Institute For Justice, a Ballston-based libertarian public interest law firm. “It doesn’t make any sense to arbitrarily limit how long one particular type of vehicle can remain in one spot.”

Two years ago, the Institute for Justice began a National Street Vending Initiative to help legalize food trucks and vendors. Frommer said Arlington’s own experience with the growing food truck industry helped inform the organization’s goals.

“It seemed like Arlington was doing a good job of embracing the vendors and letting these businesses start up,” Frommer said. “This change in enforcement is an unfortunate and surprising development.”

Tacos El Chilango Truck Opening D.C. Restaurant

By ARLnow.com

Like District Taco before it, the Tacos el Chilango truck — which serves tacos from a semi-permanent parking spot in the residential neighborhood of Radnor-Fort Myer Heights — is getting its own brick-and-mortar restaurant in the District.

As the Washington City Paper reported last week, the Tacos el Chilango restaurant is expected to open at some point next month at 1119 V Street NW, in a storefront once occupied by an Italian restaurant. Truck co-owner Jesus Santacruz tells ARLnow.com that his brother, Juan, will be running the restaurant, while he continues to run the truck.

The truck, located at 14th Street N. and N. Queen Street, near Route 50, will remain open Monday through Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Though the aging taco truck may not look like an acclaimed eatery to the casual observer, the authentic Mexican fare it serves has earned it praise from foodies, and a rare five star overall review on Yelp.

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Crystal City Launches ‘Food Truck Thursdays’

By ARLnow.com

Amid the continued debate in Rosslyn and across the county about how to balance the interests of restaurants and food trucks, Crystal City is moving forward this week with a plan that attempts to find a “win-win” solution.

The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) announced this morning that it is launching a pilot program called “Food Truck Thursdays.”

The lunchtime event — kicking off tomorrow, June 7 — will draw food trucks to a parking lot near the Crystal City Metro station for what BID president Angela Fox describes as “a fun and energetic dining option that will enhance the food truck and overall lunchtime experience.”

From a press release:

Beginning June 7th, the first Thursday in June and then happening weekly, the event will host local Food Trucks in the surface parking lot at the corner of Crystal Drive and 18th Streets (in the same location as Crystal City’s successful weekly farmers market on Tuesdays). Food Trucks that sign up get free reserved parking and patrons get one convenient location with ample options and old favorites. The following Food Trucks have already signed up to participate with many others expressing interest:

Hot People Food
Red Hook Lobster
Willie’s Po’Boy

In launching the program, the BID “hopes to balance existing business concerns while ensuring that area workers, residents, and visitors continue to enjoy from the diversity of food truck offerings,” according to the press release.

Trucks participating in the program agree to make Thursdays the only day of the week they come to Crystal City. In exchange, the truck operators get a free, reserved parking space and free marketing from the BID.

“We have enjoyed working with property owners and food truck vendors to create what we hope is a win-win Food Truck solution and are excited to launch this pilot,” Fox said.

Update at 4:00 p.m. — The Doug the Food Dude truck has also signed up for Food Truck Thursdays, according to Crystal City BID.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Sauca Ends Food Truck Service — Coming on the heels of the closing of the Sauca restaurant on Columbia Pike comes word that the Sauca food trucks have also ended their run. Owner Farhad Assari says it was a lifestyle choice — he was tired of working 14 hours a day, seven days a week. [Eater]

County May Need to Create New Group Homes — Arlington County may need to find some new group homes to house 33 people with intellectual and related disabilities. Arlington is just one of numerous Virginia localities scrambling to house disabled residents after a federal judge ordered state-run “training center” facilities closed. [Arlington Connection]

Lubber Run Performance Schedule Set — The summer concert series at the Lubber Run Amphitheater will start on June 15 and end on August 4. Concerts are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. [Arlington Arts, Sun Gazette]

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

Rosslyn BID Statement on Food Truck Regulations

By ARLnow.com

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District has issued a press release regarding its support for additional mobile food vendor regulations in Arlington County.

Citing “challenges” posed by the 100 or so food trucks and carts licensed in Arlington, the BID says the county should work to create a “level playing field” between mobile vendors and restaurants. Among the BID’s recommendations are regulating the “location and schedule of food trucks, trash, parking and access to restroom facilities.”

We reported exclusively last week that the BID was in the process of formulating a set of recommended county regulations for food trucks, at least in part to protect brick-and-mortar restaurants against the onslaught of competition from food trucks, which don’t make the same kind of long-term investments in a neighborhood as restaurant owners.

The full press release is below.

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District is collaborating with Arlington County and other County-based BIDs to explore different ways of actively managing mobile food vendors within the community.

Business Improvement Districts across the nation and within the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area are working with municipalities, business communities and other stakeholders to create vibrant hospitality zones and sociable cities, and restaurants and food trucks are part of that mix.

“Our review of this issue is a work in progress,” says BID Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy. “The goal is a level playing field, an enriched streetscape and a variety of dining experiences, while enabling brick-and-mortar food purveyors as well as food trucks to thrive.”

Over the past few years, the number of food vendors has significantly increased in Arlington, with 100 food trucks currently licensed to do business in Rosslyn, Crystal City, Ballston and other areas throughout Arlington County. Georgetown and other D.C. neighborhoods also have seen dramatic increases.

Food trucks enliven the streets and offer dining options to residents, workers and visitors, and as such can be welcome contributors to communities.

Challenges

Food trucks, however, present certain challenges.

  • Trash left behind by food truck vendors that property owners must pay to have removed
  • Pedestrian walkways blocked by food truck lines, creating safety issues
  • Limited parking spaces absorbed by food trucks, preventing customers from reaching brick and mortar businesses
  • Restrooms within property owners’ buildings being used by food truck vendors and customers
  • Health, hygiene and safety concerns

“AED [Arlington Economic Development] staff has started discussions about our retail policies with Arlington’s BIDs and Partnerships, property owners and small businesses, and mobile food vendors,” said Arlington Economic Development’s Director, Terry Holzheimer. “We recognize that any change to the rules and regulations must do three things: accommodate the needs of the mobile food vendors; address the concerns of property owners and businesses; and provide clarity for staff involved in enforcement.”

The BID is coordinating a set of recommendations with other Arlington County BIDs that will be presented to the County within the coming weeks. Based on benchmarking of best practices with other cities across the country, issues covered in the recommendations include location and schedule of food trucks, trash, parking and access to restroom facilities.

For the past 10 years, the Rosslyn BID has worked with Arlington County, local businesses and property owners to revitalize the area and create opportunities for growth. By working collaboratively with Arlington County, the BID seeks to tackle the challenges raised by property owners and tenants by devising a strategic retail plan for Rosslyn.

The Rosslyn BID has established a Retail Task Force to devise strategies to promote strong restaurant and retail development within Rosslyn, recognizing the contribution that food trucks make to the street and dining scene. The Retail Task Force has developed marketing collateral to promote Rosslyn and attract new restaurants and other retailers to the area. Chaired by Wright Sigmund of Vornado/Charles E. Smith, the Retail Task Force is comprised of community members, retailers and property owners.

“New retail opportunities are on the horizon,” says Wright Sigmund. “We have 60,000 square feet of available retail space in Rosslyn, and 44,500 square feet of retail space will be available with the completion of Central Place and 1812 N. Moore Street office towers.”

“We are optimistic that the Rosslyn community can have multiple exciting choices: both food trucks and restaurants,” says Wright Sigmund. “This issue is not unique to Rosslyn, and we welcome continued dialogue on the topic to make it a win-win for all.”

EXCLUSIVE: Rosslyn Mulls Ways to Control Food Trucks

By ARLnow.com

It’s a debate that’s happening in the District and across the country — how can free-wheeling food trucks peacefully co-exist with brick-and-mortar restaurants? That debate is now coming to Arlington.

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) is in the process of forming a set of recommendations for the Arlington County Board regarding the regulation of food trucks, according to an internal document obtained by ARLnow.com. The BID, which is funded by the property owners who rent space to the neighborhood’s 59 restaurants, delis and cafes, says in the document that “the number, location and type of operation” of food trucks and carts is “inadequately regulated by Arlington County.”

Even during the “off season” winter months, between 3 and 9 food trucks flock to N. Lynn Street alone to serve hungry Rosslyn lunch-goers, according to the BID. But while residents and workers may appreciate the variety and convenience of food trucks, the restaurants that pay rent in Rosslyn have been complaining.

“Food truck operators… park at the busiest and best locations for retail business without paying rent, investing in the community, or ‘playing by the rules,'” the document suggests. “Existing ‘bricks and mortar retail tenants, who have made large investments, are feeling significant impacts [from food trucks]… Revenue is siphoned from retailers.”

“Business owners who have made investments in Arlington County need to be protected,” the document concludes. “The County needs to create a level playing field for both street level retailers and food carts-food trucks.”

To help do so — and to help cure other ills allegedly brought on by food trucks and carts — the Rosslyn BID has formed a number of preliminary recommendations. Some of the recommendations are new, while some are based on existing regulations. Though the document is described as a “work in progress,” the recommendations so far include:

  • “Develop a mechanism to address the number and schedule of food trucks during lunch hours. This would provide a consistent approach for both food truck operators and bricks and mortar retailers.”
  • “Dedicate a location for food trucks that is not along the main retail areas.”
  • “Limit the number of food trucks-food carts per block to no more than two (2) and ensure adequate sidewalk clearance for safe passage of pedestrians.”
  • “Restrict the proximity of food trucks to not less than 65 feet away from the front of restaurants.”
  • “Require that food truck/food cart employees must have restroom access within 200 feet of the food truck-food cart.”
  • “Enhance inspections and impose serious fines for health/safety violations.”
  • “Require food trucks/food carts to provide their own trash cans or take away the garbage that they generate.”
  • “Ensure County business registration and tax laws continue to be enforced.”

Rosslyn BID Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy says that while food trucks can “enhance the streetscape,” the well-being of retailers must be considered.

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Sauca Restaurant on Columbia Pike Closes

By ARLnow.com

 

Less than a year after it first opened, Sauca restaurant at 4707 Columbia Pike has apparently closed.

The eatery was shuttered and dark last night, with only a single piece of printer paper in the door to announce its demise. It read: “Regretably [sic] Sauca has closed this location. Thank you for your patronage and wishing you all the health and happiness in the world.”

Sauca was unique in that it took the menu from an existing fleet of food trucks and tried to build a brick-and-mortar restaurant around it. Despite the fact that it added a lush outdoor patio, a liquor license, and happy hour specials to the food-truck-to-restaurant formula, we’re told that Sauca still struggled to attract a consistent customer base to its slightly off-the-beaten-path location.

Sauca is owned by Farhad Assari, a former international investment banker who left a lucrative gig in Dubai to move closer to his family and pursue his culinary dreams. The Sauca Twitter account has not been active since last Tuesday.

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